The Hearing Blog

Current insights in noise-induced hearing loss: A...
The Hearing Blog This comprehensive review by four University of British Columbia in the Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery provides a nice update on the pathophysiology, investigations, prevalence of asymmetry, associated symptoms, and current strategies on the prevention and treatment of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL); and is available in its' entirety for free. For ...
Mon, Sep 10 2018

Guest Article: Bluetooth 5 Low Energy And Its Role In...
The Hearing Blog Today's Guest Article by Mohammad Afaneh explains what Bluetooth 5 Low Energy ("BLE") is, how it differs from "classic" Bluetooth 5.0, and how it's used to empower the "Internet of Things" ("IoT"). In addition, we'll jump in and explain how these affect hearing devices. Also, we'll explain why you should never buy or dispense any 2.4 gHz hearing aid using a 312 bat...
Fri, Aug 03 2018

Sound Abnormally Stimulates the Vestibular System in Canal...
The Hearing Blog Why do some people get dizzy when hearing certain sounds? Researchers at University of Utah and Johns Hopkins have discovered why certain people experience dizziness when they hear a particular sound, such as a musical tone. For patients with (Superior) Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SSCD or SCDS), there is a pathological hole in the bone that the inner ear i...
Wed, Aug 01 2018

BULLETIN: Windows 10 Spring Update Breaks Bluetooth Comm...
The Hearing Blog BULLETIN: The Windows 10 Spring Update rollup breaks bluetooth communication with the NOAHlink "Hockey Puck;" but the NoahLink Wireless is unaffected. Also, for ReSound, Beltone, and Danalogic i-Fit (UK NHS) dispensing sites using the NOAHlink and Windows 7 (only), GN has issued a special patch; along with a related Windows 7/8/10 patch for the original programming so...
Fri, Jun 22 2018

First Person Report: Control Over Hearing Aids: A Denver...
The Hearing Blog Denver resident Carolyn Haas recently wrote an interesting essay describing her special needs as she is both visually impaired and has progressive hearing loss. Although some of her technical jargon usage is a bit off, she provides a detailed explanation on why compression can be bad; and is an interesting addendum as to why some people need a linear hearing aid respo...
Fri, May 25 2018

Yanny or Laurel? Speech Production And Audio Reproduction...
The Hearing Blog The Internet was set ablaze last Monday when Reddit user "RolandCamry" posted online a brief audio clip of the Vocabulary.com pronunciation of “laurel.”
Tue, May 22 2018

Sonova cautious on sales, profit targets for current year
The Hearing Blog Sonova's sales growth for this fiscal year may be less than half its mid-term target, the world’s biggest hearing aid maker said on Tuesday, partly because of the impact of U.S. disposals and restructuring.
Tue, May 22 2018

May Is Better Hearing & Speech Month: Get Your Free...
The Hearing Blog You get your vision & dental health checked annually, so you should also get your hearing health checked every year as well. May is Better Hearing & Speech Month, and almost every hearing care professional offers free screenings as a public service. What's more, even if your hearing is good, these screening results can be forwarded to your doctor to become part of you...
Tue, May 01 2018

Brief Notes From The Nashville AAA Convention #AN18
The Hearing Blog The American Academy of Audiology held their annual convention last week in Nashville, and your humble Editor hung out in the Expo Hall to report on the latest from the hearing care industry. The last time we attended was #AN14 in San Antonio; but this year's hall had far fewer exhibitors, despite the improved economy.
Thu, Apr 26 2018

How We Connect To The Presenter At Lincoln Park Chapter...
The Hearing Blog Much has been made of "hearing loops;" but now that we're in the digital audio transmission era, we've found a much better way to transmit the presenter's speech to the attendees, using a Roger-to-Unite bridge, for Phonak, Advanced Bionics, ReSound, Cochlear, and Beltone users… Read on!
Wed, Apr 25 2018

Tinnitus Relief With Hearing Aids: It Works!
The Hearing Blog  The key to tinnitus relief is to first address the underlying hearing loss with hearing aids, regardless how minor it may seem on the audiogram and/or whether the patient perceives it. We addressed this on the margins six years ago in Frustration With So-Called “Minimal” Hearing Loss;1, 2 but since this issue keeps popping up, it's worth a look from the experts.
Wed, Apr 11 2018

Starkey Owner Bill Austin Tells Federal Court of His...
The Hearing Blog Starkey owner Bill Austin tells Federal Court of his High–Flying Life in his 3rd Day on the stand, describing his hob-nobbing with celebrities, travel to exotic lands, and how in Mexico he thought an angel spoke through him.
Wed, Feb 14 2018

Popcorn Time: Starkey Owner “Uncle Bill” Austin Grilled...
The Hearing Blog Starkey Laboratories owner Bill Austin — on the stand for a second day in a fraud trial against the company’s former president and three others — said he had never seen nor read key documents outlining how a subsidiary was set up and structured.
Wed, Feb 14 2018

Break Out the Popcorn: Starkey Judge Says Defense Attorneys...
The Hearing Blog Break out the Popcorn: Defendants Jerry Ruzicka, Larry Miller, W Jeffrey Taylor, and Larry Hagen will be allowed to make the "character(!)" of owner Bill Austin a matter for jurors to consider.
Fri, Feb 09 2018

Days 2 And 3 of Starkey Executives’ Embezzlement Trial:...
The Hearing Blog Day 2 coverage: Starkey witness says computer searches found questionable documents; Day 3 coverage: Starkey trial continues with FBI testimony, Prosecutor commits Brady Rule violation.
Sun, Jan 21 2018

Trial Starts in $20 million Starkey Labs Embezzlement Case...
The Hearing Blog The trial starts against Jerry Ruzicka, Larry Miller, W Jeffrey Taylor, and Lawrence T Hagen in the $20 million Starkey Hearing Technologies embezzlement case: The complicated Federal case is expected to take at least six weeks in front of Chief Judge John R Tunheim, and may involve racy counterclaims.
Wed, Jan 17 2018

Former Starkey Executive Scott Nelson to Plead Guilty to 1...
The Hearing Blog From ABC5 KSTP: A former Starkey Laboratories Inc. executive will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Minnesota office confirms. Scott Nelson was among those accused of conspiring to embezzle from Starkey and Sonion from 2006 to September of 2015. Starkey is
Tue, Dec 19 2017

Barron’s: The Very Mixed Reality of Bragi’s Dash...
The Hearing Blog Bragi's wireless ear pods reviewed by Tiernan Ray show the platform has a long way to go.
Fri, Aug 04 2017

Bragi Brings Real-Time Translation To Hearables
The Hearing Blog Two years ago Phonak released an April Fools video of "teen-speak" which translates slang into proper English… And today in NYC hearable manufacturer Bragi brought it to reality, with new compatibility with iTranslate, the popular translation and dictionary app, which will come directly integrated into Bragi OS3 (BOS3). Bragi said that this will introduce "real-time...
Tue, May 16 2017

Two Study Findings Call ABR’s Into Question For Detecting...
The Hearing Blog A recently-released Danish study shows the auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR) test only detects 77-80% of vestibular schwannomas (VS; acoustic neuroma), and a recent Mass Eye & Ear study seems to explain why by detailing a newly-discovered second way a VS causes hearing loss due to ototoxic secretions causing sensorineural hearing loss. This article will explain...
Mon, May 08 2017

Guest Article: On Aliasing, Shannon, Nyquist and Bell Labs,...
The Hearing Blog Today’s Guest Article is by Cecilia Casarini, who is a PhD researcher in the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Her article is on the subject of Bell Labs, their legendary scientists Claude Shannon & Harry Nyquist, the Nyquist sampling theorem, and aliasing, including audio samples.
Sun, May 07 2017

May Is Better Hearing Month: Get Your Free Hearing Health...
The Hearing Blog You get your vision & dental health checked annually, so you should also get your hearing health checked every year as well. May is Better Hearing & Speech Month, and almost every hearing care professional offers free screenings as a public service. What's more, even if your hearing is good, these screening results can be forwarded to your doctor to become part of you...
Fri, May 05 2017

DFW Father & Son Hearing Aid Dealers Terry Lynn &...
The Hearing Blog Indictments were returned by a federal grand jury in Dallas charging Terry Lynn Anderson, 66, and Rocky Freeland Anderson, 36, of Dallas, with offenses related to their participation in an insurance fraud scheme, announced John Parker, US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud 18 ...
Fri, Apr 28 2017

Former Starkey/Northland Hearing CEO Jeffrey Longtain...
The Hearing Blog Starkey's Northland Hearing Center division CEO Jeffrey Longtain signed a plea agreement outlined in a previous felony information court filing last Thursday, April 20th to one count of income tax evasion; agreeing to forfeit $2.3 million in exchange for him testifying against the other co-conspirators.
Thu, Apr 27 2017

Former Starkey/Northland Hearing CEO Jeffrey Longtain...
The Hearing Blog Lede   Previous coverage: Former Starkey Exec Longtain Charged With Tax Evasion; Ruzicka Alleges Austin’s Bizarre Behavior Head Of Starkey Subsidiary Northland Hearing Jeffrey Longtain Charged With Felony Tax Evasion Starkey Probe That Resulted in Execs Embezzlement Indictments Originated With Betrayal x
Fri, Apr 21 2017

Former Starkey Exec Longtain Charged With Tax Evasion;...
The Hearing Blog Fun Times this week in the Starkey Swamp: New court filings allege Bill Austin told workers that after he shot a deer dead, the animal asked him, "Why did you shoot me?" and asked him not to do it again; and that he told employees that he was visited by angels who "told him what to do with his business dealings." Those angels, Ruzicka's filing said, told Austin he wou...
Fri, Apr 07 2017

#FakeNews: Hearing Health Matters Omits Top School From US...
The Hearing Blog Every year US News ranks the now-74 AuD (clinical doctorate) programs, and the folks at Hearing Health Technology Matters writes a summary, so imagine our surprise that top–ranked University of Texas–Dallas' Callier School was not on either of HHTM's lists.
Thu, Mar 23 2017

Head Of Starkey Subsidiary Northland Hearing Jeffrey...
The Hearing Blog Head Of Starkey Subsidiary Northland Hearing Jeffrey Longtain Charged With Felony Tax Evasion: Single charge was outlined in a felony "information" court report, which is sometimes used in plea bargains with coöperating witnesses.
Fri, Mar 03 2017

WikiLeaks, DCLeaks & Guccifer 2.0 Leaked Clinton...
The Hearing Blog The Hearing Blog scours the WikiLeaks, DCLeaks, and Guccifer 2.0 treasure trove of e-mails for any connections to Starkey Hearing Technologies and the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Mon, Oct 10 2016

BREAKING: Starkey Probe That Resulted in Execs Embezzlement...
The Hearing Blog The picture from the Starkey swamp is becoming somewhat clearer now that the 29 search warrants against the fired executives have been unsealed, as the story of clashing egos is unfolding. However, we need help with one key piece of the puzzle, as we’ll explain shortly.
Sat, Oct 01 2016

We Can’t Make This Up: Starkey Korea’s “Proclamation...
The Hearing Blog Sometimes things cross our desk which make us bust out laughing. Today, we have this gem from Starkey Korea’s “Proclamation Event:” During the agreement ceremony on Sept. 9, the two companies’ CEOs ― Starkey Korea CEO Richard Shim and MED-EL Korea co-CEO Eric Yun ― also had a proclamation event for more ethical and transparent business management. Dongsan...
Fri, Sep 30 2016

INDICTED! Former Starkey Execs Ruzicka, Nelson, Miller...
The Hearing Blog The mud is flying in the Starkey swamp! Three former Starkey execs plus two more at hearing aid component supplier Sonion were just indicted for embezzlement, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, financial transactions involving fraud proceeds, and more. From Fox 9: Three former Starkey Hearing Technologies
Wed, Sep 21 2016

Sonova Stock Hits 52-Week High
The Hearing Blog Three months ago we advised our readers to buy Sonova (SOON.S; SONVY ADR) stock when the market over-reacted to a slightly weaker-than-expected earnings report, dropping as low as US$125.89. Today, it hit the 52 week high of US$147.31, with ADRs trading at $29.45.
Mon, Aug 15 2016

Bush And Clinton Clans Are Taking A Powder From Sunday’s...
The Hearing Blog In recent years both former Presidents Clinton and Bush have attended Starkey Hearing Foundation’s annual star-studded “Awards” Gala, and both have received millions in dollars for their respective “foundations,” the latter under an FBI money laundering and public corruption investigation. However on June 21st US Attorney Andrew Luger moved the wrongful term...
Wed, Jul 13 2016

Hearing Aid Battery Life Survey
The Hearing Blog Our good friends at Hearing Tracker asked us to ask our readers to take this very brief survey on how long their hearing aid batteries last. Thank you! If you haven’t visited Dr Abram Bailey’s site yet, it’s basically a “Yelp!” for hearing aid providers, with consumer ratings on various hearing
Fri, Jun 03 2016
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Johnny Depp Helps Elderly Get New Hearing Aids Fitted in...
The Hearing Blog He's been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from Amber Heard. But for now that shouldn't be a problem for Johnny Depp, who was pictured in Portugal at a Starkey Hearing Foundation mission on Friday, as his estranged wife was seen sobbing outside a Los Angeles courtroom. As a solemn Amber succeeded in her bid to get a restraining order against her husband of 1...
Fri, May 27 2016

Sonova Barely Misses “Guidance;” Stock Tumbles 7%...
The Hearing Blog Time to buy Sonova: Over-reacting to a sluggish European market, a slightly softer–than–expected earning report caused Sonova Holdings (SOON.S) to tumble as much as 8.3% from the previous close of CHF136.70 (US$138.45) to as low as $125.89, before recovering to $129.03 for the day. This was on the news of weak adult CI sales at their Advanced
Wed, May 18 2016

GN Store Nord Badly Overpays to Buy Audigy Group
The Hearing Blog In what can only be described as a case of yet another European business overpaying for American assets, GN Store Nord’s ReSound division purchased the Audigy buying group for $91 million, with Bloomberg Technology reporting another $60 million is up for grabs in performance incentives. Why do we say they
Tue, May 17 2016

BREAKING: Dr John Niparko suddenly dies
The Hearing Blog With great sadness we report the sudden passing yesterday of Dr John Niparko, one of the very finest CI surgeons in the world; and quite a friend of the hearing impaired community. We don’t have any details on his passing as of this writing: We’ll post an update as soon
Tue, Apr 26 2016

NYTimes: Where Have All The Ear Infections Gone?
The Hearing Blog Where Have All the Ear Infections Gone? Author Perri Klass MD discusses the factors leading to the downward trend. What’s more, iPhone–based telehealth is already playing a role with otitis media diagnosis and management with the Cellscope Oto. Dr Klass writes, When I started practicing pediatrics in the 1990s, it seemed
Tue, Apr 19 2016

Four Simple Inexpensive & Free Steps To Speed Up Your...
The Hearing Blog  Nothing is more frustrating to a hearing aid or CI patient than to wait while programming due to slow PC response, usually centered around slow NOAH or other SQL database access, or when a Windows reboot is needed. This article will show you how & what to optimize to speed everything up.
Sun, Mar 13 2016

BREAKING FROM THE STARKEY SWAMP: Former CEO Jerry Ruzicka...
The Hearing Blog Former Starkey CEO Jerry Ruzicka just filed a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming owner Bill Austin and his family improperly used millions of dollars of company money, and which is the subject of one FBI investigation. Significantly revealed in the related arbitration filing is Starkey’s valuation at $1.0 billion. However, Starkey claims
Fri, Jan 15 2016

Necessity of Residual Hearing Preservation After CI...
The Hearing Blog We at The Hearing Blog have been banging the drum for residual hearing preservation after CI surgery since June, as the post-implant performance is much better, and there is a much lower risk of tinnitus.
Mon, Jan 11 2016

More on HIA’s Defective MarkeTrak IX: Pew Report on...
The Hearing Blog This article excerpts parts of the Pew Research Report "From Telephone to the Web: The Challenge of Mode of Interview Effects in Public Opinion Polls" which apply to MarkeTrak VIII and how these factors, among others we documented in April also conspired to corrupt MarkeTrak 9 even more than we originally believed. It also provides new insight into audiologic research...
Sun, Dec 20 2015

Benefits of Hearing Aid Speech Envelope Preservation: The...
The Hearing Blog We at The Hearing Blog have been banging the proverbial drum for the benefits of hearing aid speech envelope preservation for some time now: Ear & Hearing just published a nice paper sponsored by Oticon on the additional benefits of speech envelope preservation, but you need to wade into it before you find the hidden gem of “The results indicate that envelope fideli...
Sat, Dec 12 2015

BREAKING: FBI Raids Former Starkey Prez Jerry Ruzicka’s...
The Hearing Blog BREAKING: FBI Raids Former Starkey Prez Jerry Ruzicka's Home
Wed, Nov 04 2015

Sonova’s 2.4 gHz Digital “Moore’s Law” Bluetooth...
The Hearing Blog Sonova made a Big Splash here at The Hearing Blog, introducing the first 2.4 gHz all-digital "Moore's Law" 802.15.4 Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi radio chip, debuting in 2016… And we are quite pleased, as this will pave the way for standards-based crystal-clear digital audio streamed to our hearing aids & CI’s with inexpensive universal broadcast ...
Fri, Oct 16 2015

Guest Article: Does Chromecast Signal a Bad Week for...
The Hearing Blog Today's Guest Article is on 2.45 gHz streaming audio by 802.11 WiFi as well as 802.15.4 Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy ("BLE"), and the various ways both protocols coexist side-by-side both for audio streaming and control. This has major implications for hearing aids, CI's, and assistive devices, because except for the dodgy telecoil there is not quite yet a universal broad...
Fri, Oct 16 2015

Two New Articles On Atraumatic CI Electrode Insertion And...
The Hearing Blog In a previous article we stated you want to assure your surgeon will be using residual hearing preservation techniques to get the best performance, even if there is no residual hearing remaining, in order to keep the electrode in the scala tympani (bottom of the three chambers) to get the best outcome, and to minimize the chance of triggering or exacerbating tinnitus...
Tue, Oct 06 2015

BREAKING: Ruzicka, Guggenberger File Revealing Wrongful...
The Hearing Blog Former Starkey President Jerry Ruzicka and Operations VP filed their wrongful termination lawsuits Friday, and there are some new details of the palace coup by Brandon Sawalich. However, as we wrote in our exclusive last Friday, we believe this is merely cover for the FBI money laundering investigation into Starkey, the Foundation, and Bill & Tani Austin. Although the...
Sat, Oct 03 2015